This invention relates to a method of carrying out zone texturing on a magnetic recording disk.
Magnetic recording disks are a kind of magnetic recording media for recording data magnetically thereon and generally have their circular surface divided into a data zone and a landing zone. The data zone is an area where a magnetic head may be used to record data or to read recorded data. The landing zone is an area used for resting the magnetic head when it is not being used for recording or reading data. A hole is generally provided at the center such that a rotary shaft can be engagingly inserted therethrough to cause the disk to rotate. The data zone has an annular area and may be formed along the periphery of the disk, the landing zone being formed concentrically inside and adjacent the data zone.
The surface of the disk is intentionally made rough for various reasons, this process being called the texturing. The landing zone is textured primarily for making it easier for the magnetic head to move away from the disk surface when the disk begins to rotate, because if the surface is too smooth, the magnetic head will tend to be adsorbed thereby and the disk may not be able to turn easily or may not be able to start turning at all. The data zone may be textured for aerodynamically stabilizing the gap between the head and the disk surface.
Prior art methods of zone texturing included mechanical controls and sputtering, but surface roughness required for practical purposes could not be obtained through mechanical control and it was difficult to control the surface roughness within a limited area through sputtering.